Last week an IDF patrol in Hebron, just past a checkpoint dividing twopartsof the city, spotted a uniformed ‘palestinianpoliceman’ in an area whereheshouldn’t have been. While attempting to arrest him they were attacked by an Arab mob. Despite the fact that their lives were in danger, rather than shoot orusehand grenades against the attackers,the soldiers took cover in a butcher store,

threwpotatoesat the Arabs, and finally ran for their lives.

A similar event occurred a few days later up north, in Shechem. Anonymous IDF commanders, uncomfortable with the situation, explained that the ‘rules ofcombat’ are very complex and that soldiers are too highly restricted in themeasuresthey may use, even to defend themselves.

Seeing the headline, I mentioned to several of my friends that this Arabchutzpahcannot go unanswered. Arabs, exclaiming that they will ‘beat up’ Jewish-Israeli soldiers, must be answered, in the harshest ofterms.

Last night they received an answer.

There is one main road leading from Kiryat ArbaintoHebron. At thebottomof the winding, hilly road, is a right turn, to Ma’arat HaMachpela and Hebron’s Jewish community. To the left is a checkpoint, manned by Israeli borderpolice. Last night, at about 7:30, during a routine check, a 17 year old Arabmanattacked a border policeman, knocking him to the ground, and then pulled outapistol, placing it on the fallen man’s temple. A second officer, a borderpolicewoman, present at the site, seeing the events transpiring, loaded her gunand, without hesitating, shot the Arab terrorist three times, killinghim.

It later turned out that the Arab’s gun was a fake, toy pistol. However,madeout of black metal, it certainly looked like the real thing. The womanborderguard did exactly what she had to, and thank G-d for that. A partialresponseto the Arabs quoted at the beginning of this article. The Arabs playforkeeps. But so do we. Seeing Israeli soldiers run from marauding, rioting Arabsisa disgrace. Hearing a policewoman say, “I did what I was taught to do, I was only doing my job,” is a ‘Kiddush HaShem, a sanctification of G-d’sname.

For two thousand years, in exile from our land, Jews had no choice but torun. Today, we must stand strong and tall, as did the Maccabees, 2,300 yearsago, thereby bequeathing us Hanukkah.

The holiday of lights, as Hanukkah is called, takes on many expressionsandvariations. For example: A few days ago we marked the 21st anniversary ofthepassing of friend and fellow Hebron resident Yona Heiken. Yona was afascinatingman,whoI remember well, showing me his original IBM computer,whichcost, probably close to 30 years ago, over $10,000. Yona and Malka made Aliyah, that iscameto live in Israel, from the US, directly to Hebron. Thatwasquite a move, and Malka has been here ever since. Yona survived a criticalinjury, being stabbed by an Arab terrorist in the back while in the Kasba. Heranafter the terrorist, shooting until he finally hit him, and then, somehow,madehis way back to Beit Hadassah, where he collapsed. A real close call. But afew yearslater he fell to cancer, leaving Malka and their largefamily here inHebron.

Every year, at the memorial event, Malka finds interesting peopletospeakabout various subjects. This year, her in-laws provided the evening’sattraction. Avigdor Sharon, among other things, produces wine. He spoke abouttheprocess, and brought several different wines to taste. They were verygood.

As interesting as he was, his wife, Adi, was, in my opinion, thehighlight. She has written several books, including a true story about hermother, who escaped from Romania with siblings, during World War Two. Finallyboardingan overcrowded boat to Israel, they made it as far as Haifa, where the British, refusing to allow them into Israel, sent them to Cypress for a year. Atseventeen shefinally made it to Israel, fulfilling her dream. Here, she foundherselfat Kibbutz Yavneh, working as a lookout in a tower, all by herself,nightafter night. Armed with a World War Two Czech rifle, she was told to watchforEgyptian airplanes trying to invade Israel and get to Tel Aviv. And if shesawa plane? She was to shoot it down.

One night, suddenly, she heard a buzz in the heavens above. She froze,searchingthe sky. And then, there it was, an Egyptian plane, flying low, aboveher. What to do? She raised the Czech rifle, pull the trigger, and shot,straightinto the plane, which plummeted to the earth. A young refugee womanfromRomania shot down an enemy war plane, with a rifle, all by herself! Iron Dome, sixty four years ago. If this isn’t heroism, I don’t know whatis.

This is the same heroism displayed by the young border policewoman whoshotand killed a terrorist last night in Hebron. This is the legacy ofourancestors, Mattityahu, Yehuda, and all the others, who fought, against all odds,andwon.

As I write this, another group of heroesare celebratingthese happydays. Hebron’s children are being treated to a Hanukkah play, complete withgames, riddles, prizes, and of course,sufganiot, the traditional Hanukkah jellydonut. Seeing these joyous children in Hebron is a realization that the dreamwhichbegan almost 4,000 years ago here in Hebron, has borne much fruit, whichwe have observed over the centuries and are privileged to witness heretoday.